Combination-lock.



A. F. STAPLES. COMBINATION LOCK.

APPLIoATroN FILED MAY 1912.

1,035,757. Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

l/mwce .AIZBERT F. STAPLES, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

COMBINATION-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

Application filed May 6, 1912. Serial No. 695,493.

, To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. STAPLES, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combination locks,- of the type commonly employed in connection with cash-drawers or tills, in which a number of tumbler-s are operated by `means of finger-pieces, or keys, manipulated by the user of the lock in the act of opening the drawer.

The object of the invention is to produce a lock, of the type in question, which is capable of having the operative combination readily changed at will, but which is simple and inexpensive in construction and reliable in operation.

To this end the invention consists in a combination-lock having the several features of construction and arrangement hereinafter particularly described, as they are defined in the succeeding claims.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure 1 is a vertical section (on the line 1-1 in Fig. 2) through a lock-mechanism embodying the present invention, together with adjacent portions of a till in connection with which the mechanism is employed; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2--2 in Fig. 1, the spring being, however, entirely omitted; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the detente.

The invention is illustrated as employed in connection with a till of ordinary form, having the usual cash-drawer of which the front 5, the sides 6, and the bottom 7 are shown, the bottom being raised to provide space for the lock-mechanism. This drawer' slides in a cabinet of which only the bottom 8 is shown. The drawer is provided in the usual manner with a drawer-pull 27, which constitutes also a hood for the finger-pieces of the lock.

To provide a support for the tumblers of the lock a plate 9 is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom 7 of the drawer, this plate having depending ears 10 in which a rod 1l is fixed in horizontal position. This rod constitutes the pivotal axis for the tumblers. Each tumbler is an integral Sheetmctal member, of which the forward p0rtion 12 constitutes a flat linger-piece projecting, through an opening in the front 5 of the drawer, into the space inclosed by the drawer-pull 27, so that it may be conveniently engaged by the fingers of the user in opening the drawer. At the rear extremity of the linger-piece 12 the sheet-metal is bent downwardly and extends rearwardly, so as to form two parallel arms 13 and 14. These arms are perforated to receive the rod 11, and the forward extremity or angle of the arm 14 is shaped to constitute an abutment 15 adapted to coperate with the corresponding detent. The arm 13, on the other hand, extends to some distance in the rear of the rod 11, and is provided with a downwardly-projecting shoulder or abutment 1G,

also adapted to coperate with the detent. I

The arm 13 is bent laterally, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the two abutments on each tumbler may coperate alternatively with the same detent according to the position of the detent, but, as shown in said figure, the

two abutments are laterally offset from each n other so as to coperate with different portions of the detent.

The detents are pivoted upon a horizontal rod 17, which is supported in ears 18 projecting upwardly from a plate 19 fixed to the base 8 of the cabinet. Each detent is a U- shaped member of sheet-metal having parallel arms or side-portions 20 and 21, which are perforated, at their extremities, to engage the pivot-rod 17. The middle-portion of the detent cooperates with the corresponding tumbler. This middle-portion comprises a part 25 of full width, while the sheet-metal adjacent the arm 20 is cut and bent inwardly, so as to form a notch 24 and a flange 28. This flange provides a pocketlike recess, between the flange and the arm 21. Directly beneath the notch 24 the sheetmetal is bent inwardly so as to form a recessed portion 23.

In the normal position of the parts each linger piece 12 is in its lower position, as shown in Fig. 1, and to assure this position a flat spring 22 is employed, the spring engaging the upper surface of the finger-piece, as shown in Fig. 1, and being fixed beneath the plate 9 by means of screws 26. These screws may constitute also the means forl fastening the plate 9 in place.

Vith the tumblers in the normal position, if the drawer be pulled forwardly each tumbler will or will not operatively engage and be arrested by the corresponding detent, according to the position of the latter, and according as the finger-piece 1Q is raised or is left in normal position. Considering the case where the detent is in its rear position, as shown at the bottom of Fig. Q, in this case there is nothing to engage the abutment 15 on the corresponding tumbler. Therecessed portion Q3 of the detent is in position to be engaged by the abutment 1G, if the finger-piece be raised. Accordingly, this finger-piece must not be raised, and if it be left down the abutment 16 will pass freely above the upper edge of the detent. Where the detent is in the opposite position, however, as shown at the top of Fig. 2, the opposite conditions prevail. 1n this case the abutment 15 will engage the pocket of the corresponding detent, unless the linger-piece be raised so as to swing the abut-ment clear of the upper edge of the detent. 1f the 1inger-piece be so raised the tumbler will not engage the detent, since the notch 241; in the latter aflords clearance for the abutment 16. Accordingly, to permit the drawer to be opened, certain of the finger-pieces must be raised, and all of the others must be left in their lower position, as is customary in locks of this character.

The function of the recess in the part 23 is to insure operative engagement between the detent and the corresponding abutment 16, the recess acting to prevent the abutment from sliding laterally from the end of the detent, as might otherwise occur through the flexibility of the arm 13, or through slight inaccuracy in the relative location of the parts. lThe flange 28 performs a corresponding function, since it prevents the abutment 15 from sliding oft of the part 25 and into and through the notch 24.

I claimt- 1. lock having, in combination, a series of tumblers, pivoted, between their extremities, on a common horizontal axis and each provided with two downwardly-projecting abutments located` respectively, in front of and behind the pivotal axis, a finger-piece projecting forwardly from each tumbler. and a series of U-shaped detents pivoted on a common horizontal axis beneath the tumblers, the abutments on each tumbler being laterally offset from each other so as to coperate with different parts of the middleportion of the corresponding detent, and

said middle-portion being notched at the edge which is up when the detent is in forward position, so as to clear the rear abutment on the corresponding tumbler.

2. A lock having, in combination, a series of tumblers and a series of detents cooperating with the tumblers, each tumbler comprising an integral sheet-metal member having a forwardly-projecting finger-piece, two arms bent downwardly into parallel planes, and extending rearwardly, from the finger-piece, an abutment on the forward extremity of one arm and an abutment near the rear extremity of the other arm, the tumbler being pivoted on a horizontal axis at a point between said abutments; and each detent being pivoted, at one end, on a horizontal axis below the axis of the tumblers and having, at its other end, abutments adapted to cooperate with the abutments on the corresponding tumblers.

8. A lock having, in combination, aseries of tumblers, and a series of detents coperating with the tumblers, each tumbler having two laterally-offset, downwardly-projecting abutments and being pivoted, on a horizontal axis, between the abutments; and each detent comprising a lil-shaped sheet-metal member pivoted, at the extremities of its side-portions, on a horizontal axis below the pivotal axis of the tumblers, the middle-- portion of the detent being notched, on one edge, near one side-member, so as to provide clearance for the rear abutment on the corresponding tumbler when the detent is swung to forward posit-ion upon its pivotal axis.

4t., A lock having, in combination, a series n of tumblers and a series of detents coperating with the tumblers, each tumbler having two laterally-offset, downwardly-projecting abutments and being pivoted, on a horizontal axis, between the abut-ments; and each detent comprising a U-shaped sheetmetal member pivoted, at the extremities of its side-portions, on a horizontal axis below the pivotal axis of the tumblers, the middleportion of the detent being provided, at one edge, with a notch near onev side-portion to provide clearance for the rear abutment on r'the corresponding tumbler, and with a pocket near the other side-portion so as to coperate effectively with the forward abutment on the corresponding tumbler when the detentie in forward position.

5. A lock having, in combination, a series of tumblers and aseries of detents coperating with the tumblers, each tumbler having two laterally-offset, downwardly-proj ecting abutments and being pivoted, on a horizontal axis,between the abutments; and each detent comprising a ll-shaped sheet-metal member pivoted, at the extremities of its side-portions, on a horizontal axis below the pivotal axis of the tumblers, the metal of the middle-portion of the detent being cut responding tumbler when the detent is in and bent, at one edge,dt1o form a notfclh on its rear position.

one si e and an inWar yprojectin ange forming a pocket on the other sidemd the ALBER F' STAPLES' metal directly below the notch being bent Witnesses:

inwardly to form a recess adapted to co'- D. GURNEE,

operate with the rear abutment on the cor- L. THON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

